


Prologue

by bloodsigilsandpie



Series: Season 16 [1]
Category: Supernatural
Genre: Episode Fix-It: s15e20 Carry On, Jack Kline as God, M/M, Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Post-Canon, Post-Season/Series 15, Rowena MacLeod & Sam Winchester Friendship, Witch Sam Winchester
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-24
Updated: 2021-01-22
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:53:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 7
Words: 4,483
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27695855
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/bloodsigilsandpie/pseuds/bloodsigilsandpie
Summary: With Chuck taken care of there are still a few loose ends to tie up before the Winchesters can cherish their free will.
Relationships: Amara & Dean Winchester, Castiel & Dean Winchester, Castiel & Sam Winchester, Castiel/Dean Winchester, Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Jack Kline & Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester
Series: Season 16 [1]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/2028272
Kudos: 12





	1. A Turn of Events

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I didn’t get the ending I wanted, or even one I could tolerate, so I’m writing my own. Here's Season 16.

He could feel the rebar inside him. The blood had started to seep through his jacket. He managed to keep his voice steady, “Sam. I don’t think I’m gonna be able to move.”

“Dean? What-” Sam moved closer and realized what had happened.

“All that and a rusty nail takes me out, huh?” He let out a dry laugh that sounded more like a wheeze.

“Wait, Dean, hold on.” Sam stepped back and started looking around for something, anything that would help.

“Sammy, stop. It's okay. It’s gonna be okay. You-”

“No. It's not! It's not, Dean! We’ve been through too much for me to be okay with this! And stow that ‘let me go’ crap. This isn’t over.” Sam turned around, ignoring Dean’s strained breathing and called out, “Jack? Jack! Jack, can you hear me? Please, we need you!”

They heard a light flutter of wings and Dean felt a hand on his shoulder. With a small flash of white light Dean was healed and brought down from the wall.

“Jack!” Dean gasped as he looked at the boy standing next to him.

“Hi Dean, Sam. I was going to meet you in the bunker but I guess we’ll do this now.” He took a deep breath and walked over to one of the nearest crates, confusing the Winchesters who were surprised he even showed.

“Amara and I got to spend some time together and we came to an agreement. She decided it would be better if instead of the ‘Light and Darkness’ both existing in me, it would be better with her.”

“Wait, you mean she is now her own… ‘being’ and you're...” Dean waved his hand vaguely at Jack.

“Just me. Well, not yet. She’s still here. We have some things to get done first. But when she does leave I’ll be just, me, Jack. Still a Nephilim, though. I can't really go on without my grace. She said I deserved a life. And a childhood.” he finished with a smile.

Sam returned the smile but they still had a few questions, “Wait, what do you mean stuff? Do you need anything from us?”

“Yes, actually we do. First we need to stop over at Hell.”

Dean took a moment to appreciate how casually that sentence could be thrown into their conversations before asking, “Can you maybe give us more details kid?”

“We’re going to see Rowena. She found an ancient book that might have something about putting the Empty back to sleep.”

Dean’s face fell at the mention of the Empty. “You’re putting the Empty to sleep… forever?”

“Yes. That’s what I need you for. We made a deal that said we would put it to rest as long as we get some angels in return, you know with Heaven slowly dying and everything. And a few demons- Rowena’s request. But it won't give up Cas. So one of you will have to go in and pull Cas out while the other helps Rowena with the spell.”

Sam felt his heart lighten for the first time in maybe years when a light that had been gone a long time returned to Dean’s eyes as he asked, “We’re bringing Cas back?”

“Of course. I _am_ god for now. What else would I do with all this power?”

“Well, let’s go to Hell then!”

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I want to see the boys have peace and not send the message that you have to die for it. You can have a good life no matter what you had to go through in the past. There is always hope.  
> So I’m going to fix this clusterfuck of a finale and write a season 16 series. It’s just going to be TFW 2.0 and their extended family (ᴮᴱᶜᴬᵁˢᴱ ᶠᴬᴹᴵᴸʸ ᴬᴵᴺ’ᵀ ᴱᴺᴰᴵᴺᴳ ᵂᴵᵀᴴ ᴮᴸᴼᴼᴰ. ᴺᴼᵀ ᴵᴺ ᴹʸ ᵂᴼᴿᴸᴰ!) doing regular things with maybe an occasional decapitation.  
> Only fluff. Pure domestic fluff. No pining. No hurt without comfort. No angst. My babies are going to be happy. I promise. And I’m not leaving till I wrap this up with a fucking bow.  
> This is just the beginning and I’ll try to post at least once a week.


	2. Some Hope from Hell

With a snap of Jack’s fingers, they were standing in Rowena’s throne room. The Queen of Hell herself stood over a table peering at an aged piece of parchment.

“Hello, boys,” She said, her back still turned. “Great to see you all again, though it would be nice if you visited more often. The doors of Hell are always open to the Winchesters!” She finished, turning on her heels to smile at the three of them.

“Are you done? Is it time?” Jack asked with a little excitement in his voice.

“Just one more second and we're good to go, dearie,” she replied in a sing-song voice before turning her attention to Sam. “Don’t be shy, Samuel. Come over here and help your dear, old friend.”

Sam glanced at Dean before heading over to where Rowena was standing and eyed the assortment of items spread on the table. “So, this spell, how does it work?”

“You simply open a door to the Empty, get out a few old pals and then throw this in,” she held up a greenish-yellow crystal the size of her hand, “your wee Nephilim said it was complaining about how loud it was? Well, this makes it quieter. Quiet enough for it to fall back to sleep.”

“What about Cas?” Dean spoke up for the first time.

When Rowena looked over at him there was a soft sort of sadness in her eyes. “Sorry dear, the Empty’s got a bit of a tiff with that angel. Won't give him up easy. But it will be busy waking everyone else up so we’re hoping you can just sneak in there and pull him out.”

“Hoping?” Dean raised an eyebrow and his face fell. Of course, it wouldn’t be easy.

“There is a plan B but we’re not sure of its consequences.” Rowena pursed her lips and turned around and got back to work.

The next ten minutes or so was spent with Rowena showing Sam some of the ropes and listing the ingredients to Jack so he could fly out and get them or something. Dean wasn’t paying attention. Thoughts were running through his mind so fast he had to sit down. All of them said the same thing.

_Cas_. He was coming back.

He was going to get Cas back. But what then? Where did they stand now?

All he could do was hope. Hope this would work. Hope he could speak his truth.

Dean didn’t get to say anything before Castiel was pulled into the Empty. And now he's being given a second chance.

He would probably screw it up. Like he has every good thing that’s ever happened to him. But he has to hope this one thing turns out to be a happy ending. For once.

His mind kept drifting. Questions he was too afraid to have answered. Would Cas still want what he said he did? Did he even mean what Dean is assuming he meant?

Dean lived his entire life behind unsaid words. It was easier to pretend it wasn't real when it was never said out loud. So he bottled up everything and continued in denial. But for the first time, he had the chance to have something real. He _wanted_ to say it.

He sat there with all these words flying around in his head, his leg bouncing and palms sweating. He barely noticed Rowena when she came and sat down beside him.

“Did you not fix it?” she asked gently. It took a while for Dean to come back.

“No.”

“What happened, Dean?” she asked.

Dean swallowed past the lump in his throat. The words from that night hit him again. There was nothing to gain or lose from hiding it now. “He said… he said he loved me. And before I could say it back, he was taken.” He mumbled. The words left his tongue heavy. _He loved me._

It was the first time he had said it out loud. He couldn’t pretend it wasn’t real anymore, that he imagined it. It was out in the open. It was real. And he had to deal with it. He _wanted_ to deal with it.

"You _are_ going to say it back? When we get him out?"

Dean looked up after a few moments, taking time to blink back the tears. “Of course.”

“Good. Now, chin up dear. Let’s go get your angel.”


	3. Dealing with Cosmic Entities

A copper bowl sat on the table covered with a bright purple cloth. Rowena had painted a sigil on it with angel blood and Dean wasn't going to ask where she got it from. He wasn’t paying attention. Unlike Sam, who was being a geek over all this witchy stuff again. Rowena mumbled something in some language he didn’t bother to identify.

He was excited and worried. He was ecstatic. He was terrified. And was starting to get a little impatient.

Both of them had bandages on their forearms that vanished as soon as Jack flew in with the last ingredient and healed them. Sam lit a match as Rowena chanted something and Jack formed a semicircle against the wall with some sort of yellow powder. Probably to keep the Empty at bay.

As soon as the match hit the cloth it burned a dark blue and turned to ashes. Around 5 seconds passed when Dean thought it didn’t work and felt his heart sink. But then the bowl caught fire and burned deep blue again.

The wall they were facing started to bubble. The same black goo Dean saw take Castiel away started pouring through. It then formed a rectangular space on the wall. A door.

The four of them looked at each other waiting for something to come out of it.

When nothing did, Jack walked forward and tentatively put his hand inside the hole and pulled back. “It worked.” He said, “It's cold. And empty. You can't feel anything. I've been there. Are you sure it's safe for Dean to go in?”

“He will be with this on him.” Rowena smiled and tossed a little hex bag at him. But before Dean could say anything a voice came from the door.

“You just won't give up on that pesky little angel will you?” The Empty had walked out of the door wearing Meg’s face. “How many times do I gotta tell ya? I’m not giving him back.”

“Yeah, we thought so,” Rowena said with a smirk and threw a gold sphere the size of a golf ball into the door.

A look of confusion passed the Empty’s face before it wailed and fell to its knees. “You made it louder! Make it stop!”

“You know who we want. Give us our angel and you can sleep for the rest of eternity.” Rowena looked both pleased and mildly surprised it worked.

The look in the Empty’s eyes made it clear that if they didn't have leverage over it they would have all suffered a slow horrible death.

“Fine! Go! Take it! Take them all!” It wailed and lay there on the floor covering its ears. 

Jack nodded for Dean to follow and moved towards the door.

Dean took one last glance at Sam, who was working to keep the door open and stepped into the dark Empty.


	4. Running Through Empty

Castiel’s eyes closed as soon as they opened. _This isn’t real._

“Hey sunshine,” Dean bent down and held out his hand.

Cas stared at it. _This can’t be real._ “Dean. What are you doing here?”

“Oh, didn’t you hear? I’m here to grip you tight and raise you from perdition.”

He smiled, wider. And that smile… That was the smile he had fallen for. In every way imaginable. The one he would do it all over again for. The one he never thought he would see again.

He took Dean’s hand and stood up. Only then did he believe it was real. _He was there._

“Dean, what are you doing? What is this costing you?” He glanced at the Empty standing a few feet away, glaring at them, “I’m not going to let someone else take my place.”

“You don’t think you deserve to be saved?” Cas couldn’t help but smile at the grin on his face. Dean looked happy. Happier that he had seen him in a very long time.

“But how-?”

“We figured something out, I’ll explain later,” Dean cut him off and started pulling him towards a door. “First, I’m gonna take you back home.”

_Home_ …

“Okay.”

* * *

Dean took his hand and pulled him towards an arched doorway. A hazy grey hole- like it was the one spot not covered by the darkness of the place.

The Empty stood there, still wearing Meg’s face. It did not look thrilled about whatever they had pulled here.

Cas was still trying to process what was happening. He had been stuck in this darkness for… well you can’t really tell. It was just like he'd been told. Empty. Replaying your greatest mistakes and regrets.

But Dean's hand in his? That felt… real.

Too real for him to accept it was happening. Mostly because he was afraid of what it was going costing them.

As they reached the door, Dean let go of his hand and pushed him forward. Castiel fell through, but landed on his feet, on stones that were not part of the bunker, as far as he knew. His eyes landed first on a bowl with flames coming out of it. And standing above it, was Sam.

When Sam saw Cas, he walked over and, before Cas could say anything, he was enveloped in six feet and four inches of flannel.

"Cas… you’re back.” He said as he pulled away, smiling. Cas could see tears welling in his eyes.

“Sam,” Cas smiled back, “You did this?”

“Well, I had some help.” He turned his head towards Rowena, who was standing behind them. They were in hell.

“Hello, angel. Glad to see you alive and well.” Rowena walked forward and stood closer to Cas. “These boys almost got themselves killed without you.” The smile on her face was sweeter than Cas remembered seeing on the witch.

“Thank you, Rowena.” The queen just winked and went back to the spell she was working on.

“Where’s everyone else?” A slight panic set in as he remembered the world right before he left it.

“Oh, it's all fine, Cas. Don’t worry. We'll explain when we get back home.”

Cas looked behind at the hole in the wall he had come from, wondering about Dean, when he saw him jump out and throw something inside.

There was a sound of air getting sucked out, and the door was gone.

The Empty, he assumed, was now at rest.


	5. New Management

Turns out Sam didn’t have to explain anything.

Just as Dean set off the spell, Jack showed up. Castiel’s face lit up when the boy showed up.

Jack started telling him about everything— filling Cas in about how they defeated Chuck, the deal with Amara, how they got him out and dealt with the Empty.

Jack spoke so fast that Sam wasn’t sure if Cas was keeping up. All his face showed was a fondness and relief to see Jack again. Sam was glad to see them like that again.

Dean rolled his eyes and asked, feigning exasperation, “Is it over?”

Jack smiled and got a relaxed expression on his face. Black smoke circled his left arm and travelled down to his hand where it turned into a palm. Amara appeared before them, standing beside Jack.

“Well, my work here is done, I guess. I have some more things to take care of first, but you can go home.” She said, smiling softly at Jack.

Before anyone could do or say anything, the four of them were back at the Bunker and Amara was gone.

* * *

Cas was with Sam in the library catching up while Jack was settling into his room. Dean thought he could do it, but he chickened out again. What if Cas changed his mind? Or didn't really mean it?

He excused himself a long time ago. He stood leaning over the kitchen counter, trying to calm down. As soon as Eileen arrives Sam will be busy fussing over her and being an idiot in love. Which will leave Cas alone, taking away Dean’s excuse for staying away.

He didn't know when Amara got there, but when he looked up she was sitting at the table.

“Amara. Where'd you go?” he asked, hoping she hadn't noticed his face from a moment ago.

“You didn't defeat Chuck,” she stated simply.

“What?” Dean’s attention shifted and he walked over to sit on the other side of the kitchen table.

“When Jack absorbed both our essences, he left his body and took over. It wasn't Jack who left you that day. It was Chuck. He trapped us in there.” Dean didn't know what to say. What could he say? So he let her continue.

“For a while, Jack was too weak to fight, and I didn't even want to try. Then I got to spend time with the kid and took a peek at the ending Chuck had planned. You die on a chunk of metal in an old barn, leaving Sam to live a blurred life waiting for death so he could join you in heaven. What you always expected to happen and was fine with years ago.” She had a dark violet flower in her hand that she was twirling. Her head was turned down when she spoke.

“Humans confused me, but after my time on earth, I realized no one, let alone you two, deserved an ending like that. Chuck was going to bring Castiel back too. As an angel. Turn him back into one of 'Heaven's Soldiers' again.” Amara paused to take a deep breath.

“So we fought. Jack and I gave everything we had. It wasn't pleasant, but Chuck is now gone. Really gone.'' Amara looked sad.

Dean spoke slowly, “Oh. I’m sorry. I know—“ Amara held up her hand to stop him.

“It’s fine. I wiped some of that memory from Jack's mind. He's three years old. He doesnt need any of that.”

“So, what now?” 

“I am both light and darkness now. The whole package. God.” She said the word like she was trying it out. Seeing if it fit. “You can’t call me if you need anything. I won't be writing your stories. You will be. So if something goes wrong, it will be your fault. I fixed heaven so you don’t have to worry about anything that happens there. Made a few tweaks in Purgatory too. It only locks up the real monsters now. So your friends who got turned will be going to heaven.”

Amara must have known what he was thinking when she said, “Your friend Benny is there now.”

“Hell is under Rowena and Crowley—”

“Crowley?”

“Yes. I brought him back for Rowena. She did help us. Him, along with a few angels to balance heaven. Only the ones who haven't tried to kill Castiel. Some of them chose to stay on earth, some went to heaven. We needed to clear out the empty a bit so they could properly rest.”

“And Jack and Cas? They’re gonna stay angel and Nephilim?”

“Jack will be immortal till he reaches his physical age, then he will age like a regular human. But he needs his grace to exist. Cas, on the other hand, will be human within a few months.” Seeing the concern on his face she added, “Relax. It’s what he wants. His grace will just slowly fade, he won’t notice a thing.” 

She got up, and Dean followed.

“Anyway, I need to fix all the other dimensions that were destroyed. Everyone you brought from that other place will be returned once I restore their home. You don’t have to worry about any of that from now. You got your free will. Use it.” She gave him a look.

With that she was gone, leaving behind the flower and, once again, what Dean needed most.


	6. The Truth

Once Sam’s eyes started to mist over, Cas left him with Eileen to see where he could stay the night. He would need a room now that he might be living in the Bunker. Maybe there was an empty room available next to Jack’s.

He kept walking, busying himself with pointless thoughts so he wouldn’t have to think about how Dean hadn’t spoken a word to him after he stepped out of the Empty… for better or worse.

Cas walked down one of the Bunker’s many hallways. It felt weird. He was back on earth. Alive.

It was similar to the last time he came back from there. A bit disoriented with a slight panic in any place dark and cold.

Except, this time, he remembered what it was like to be there. With the guilt and shame of his mistakes consuming him. It was odd without that constant agony. He shook his head trying to get away from that train of thought.

By the time he did, the other one had caught up.

“Cas, wait!”

Cas turned around to see Dean come to a stop in the hallway. He took a look behind him and walked closer.

“Cas, I uh…” his face flushed under Castiel’s gaze, “well I—”

Cas cut in when he saw this might be going where he’d been hoping it wouldn’t, “Dean if… if this is about what I said, you don't have to say anything.”

“No, Cas. I do. I want to,” he took a deep breath. “I— Why didn’t you say something sooner, you self-sacrificing son of a bitch?”

“Dean, I was fine with the deal I had made. I was ready to go.”

“Yeah, well, I wasn't.” he spat out, “I wish I could have said something, Cas. I hated myself for not saying it before. And then… it was too late. Again.” Tears started to pool in his eyes.

Cas could hear the buzzing of the lights above and the sound of their breathing in the quiet that followed. A silence waiting to be broken.

“I love you too, Cas.” he broke it. “Of course I love you. I'm so sorry I ever made you think I didn't. I know what I’ve said and done and if I could go back…” He took a few hesitant steps forward, “You didn’t deserve to be put through any of that. It wasn't fair and I wish I could take it back but the world kept ending and…”

Cas closed the distance between them, wrapping his arms around Dean, who gave in and held him back. Tears fell hot down Dean’s cheeks and onto Castiel’s trench coat. “Dean, it’s okay. It’s over now.”

Dean took a moment steadying himself and said gruffly into the crook of his neck, “Just don’t pull something like that again.” His voice softened again as he added, “Don’t ever leave me again, Cas”

“I won't Dean. I'm not going anywhere,” he reassured him. Why would he leave anyway? Everything he wanted was right there. He’d been given another chance to take it. And this time, just maybe, he can keep it.

“Please. Stay.”

“Of course.”


	7. Home

_Three months and no apocalypse._ Dean chuckled to himself at the thought while doing the dishes.

He was living an apple pie life. With his brother and his girlfriend running the hunting community, his angel boyfriend ( _boyfriend!_ ) and their Nephilim son, who was technically the son of the archangel Lucifer and a former white house secretary. In a top-secret underground bunker with centuries worth of occult lore and artefacts.

Well… it was close enough.

Although, the place was not always just the five of them. There was the occasional stray hunter stopping by now that it was the official hunting base. Run by none other than Sam Winchester of course (with Eileen keeping him alive). His little Sammy was all grown up.

Right now he was digging through the archives for something on a minor god some hunter's run into.

Jack, despite being back to Nephilim, was usually found in his room listening to music that confused anyone that walked by. Dean didn’t get how it eventually grew on Cas when it still gives him a headache. He still had his wings though. So on weekends, he would be at Jody’s being corrupted by Claire.

Except when Alex or Patience was around. Then he'd come back with some 'cool new fact' that would remind everyone back at the bunker that he has only been alive for 3 years and they haven't done much to educate him in the ways of the world.

Yesterday he came back fascinated about how many bones were inside him. He spent the whole day watching YouTube videos about it.

Speaking of ways of the world, Dean had an almost-human Cas on his hands who shrieked last week when the bread popped out of the toaster. He couldn't leave him alone with Sam because in under 5 minutes they would be immersed in some dangerous ‘experiment’ that would leave them pleasantly surprised when they survived it.

He was sitting at the kitchen table reading a newspaper and telling Dean about anything interesting he came across.

Eileen helped put out a few of those fires (sometimes literally). She’s been a joy to have around. Mostly because of how ridiculous Sam is around her (Dean would love to point it out but he’s afraid Sam would have a reply in mind). But also because it’s good for Jack to be raised by at least one competent adult, as they have all come to agree.

She’s out on a hunt with Donna.

Dean had settled into part retirement. It's nice not worrying about the fate of the world.

Hunting has turned into a once or twice in a month thing. It's all just late nights under covers and sleeping in for him now. He only steps out for it when he needs to scratch an itch or when Claire makes a comment about how he's getting too old for it.

There has been no demon activity except the occasional hellhound attack when Rowena finds someone she'd like to put through Hell. And it seems the angels are glad not to have a reason to come down and interact with them.

Amara brought back a few victims of Chuck’s need for ‘shock value’ in his story. This included a lot of people they couldn't save and the vessels of a few dozen angels and demons. She also restored the other worlds. All but the squirrel one, whatever that is, that made Amara shudder.

As a final favour before she left, she erased their criminal records, which meant they could get real jobs now.

Everyone brought over from the apocalypse world went back and Kaia, with her newfound mastery of dream-walking, checked in on them every month till they settled down. She told them about Bobby retiring to run the roadhouse and Charlie and Stevie getting married. Now that she can control it, her eyes light up when she talks about what she sees. Not as much as Claire’s does (something else Dean can’t say out loud). They were happy together and it was nice to see Claire smile.

By the end of the day, that's all that matters. His family was safe and happy.

You see, he was never given a 'home' or a 'family'. He found it. And learned to be selfish enough to let himself keep it.


End file.
